Here is some great eye candy of the famous Case Study House #22 The Stahl House designed by Pierre Koenig. You may need to protect your keyboard from the inevitable drool that will follow.

I never cease to be amazed by the talent that some people have. Etsy seems to have plenty of those talented people, and Nena Von is one of them. Nena makes wonderful decorative pillow covers using amazing Designer fabric such as, Romo, Osborne & Little, Fabricut, Ralph Lauren, Veranda, Michael Levine, Decorator's walk and many others. All her pillows covers look very high quality and include an envelope insert on the back which makes it easy to remove for cleaning. Prices are very reasonable with most covers running between $20 - $30 depending on the fabric. To make the deal even sweeter Nena has offered a 15% discount to all GRM readers. Just enter the code 101408roots at checkout.

Nena Von Pillows on Etsy

The Gourmet Collection by Lorena Barrezueta is a clever twist on the idea of fine porcelain. By reintroducing the disposable tin food container as an object of high-end design, Lorena challenges our perception of quality and value. These cheeky little numbers are available in three different lines: Classic, Fresh, and Lush. I prefer the bold, modern colors of the Fresh line, but if you're going for sheer irony and/or perception smashing you might like the hand-gilded Classic series. Whatever your preference, you'll be sure to find a dish that suits your tastes: there are over 30 different styles, from Mac 'n' Cheese to Gyoza.

See the complete line at www.lorenabarrezueta.com.

Samples, Seconds, and Surprises can be purchased from the Lorena Barrezueta Etsy shop: $23 - $95

I'm a big fan of Flor tiles, in fact we just bought a bunch for our sons room downstairs. Flor recently announced a new collection based on the wonderful photography of François Robert who is known for finding the soul in everyday objects. It looks as if there are only two find a face tiles at the moment, each with nine images of everyday objects that look like faces. Still, with only two variations the photo above shows that you can still pull off a pretty sweet looking rug. A six tile rug (3 x 5) will run you about $180 which works out to just over $11 a square foot.

Available from Flor

Holy smokes!  Modernica is having a ginormous, one-time warehouse sale on Saturday, July 18th in celebration of their 20th anniversary. Nearly everything will be on sale - case study shelving, fiberglass shell chairs, even George Nelson lamps. This promises to be a big event, complete with DJs, clothing designers, antique dealers, etc. etc. If you're not in California, you can still take advantage of select deals online from 7am - 7pm. I'm super stoked because I'll actually be there that weekend! Granted it's a family vacation, I'll do whatever it takes to get to this event - even if it means ditching the fam at Disneyland and hitchhiking to LA.

What: Modernica 20th Anniversary Sale
Where: 7th & Alameda
When: Saturday, July 18
From: 10am – 4pm

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Lately I have been finding all sorts of great stuff for sale through websites that typically specialize in fashion. First there was the Gilt groupe that had Areaware stuff for sale, now Haute Look has some great appliances for sale. Made by Kalorik, the line of appliances have a bit of retro look to them, but with a more modern contemporary flair. I was surprised by how complete the line of appliances was. They have everything from mixers to toasters to wine bottle coolers and all of them are for sale. The prices are quite reasonable considering the quality of the styling. For example the stainless steel and glass coffee pot above is $58, the blender $63 and the toaster $53. You have to sign up with Haute Look to be able to see the selection, but if all their deals are this good it may just be worth it.

Kalorik appliances available from Haute Look.

When I was in school, this thing would have prevented many a ridiculous spat - like when my roommate claimed the jam my parents gave me was hers. I'll still never understand that one.

The Flatshare Fridge is one of nine finalists out of more than 600 entries from 49 countries in the Electrolux Design Lab 2008 competition. For creator Stefan Buchberger, a design student at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, the idea grew out of a semester-long theme about keeping personal space clean and tidy. “I decided to create Flatshare fridge because there is nothing more disgusting than a dirty fridge in a shared flat,” he says. “At the time, I was living in such a flat!”

The fridge consists of a base station and up to four stackable modules. The modules allow each individual user to have his or her own refrigerator space and can be customized with various colorful skins as well as with add-ons like a bottle opener or a whiteboard. Handles on the sides of the modules make them easy to transport. “If you move to new flat, you can just transport your module like a suitcase and hook it up to the base station in your new flat,” Buchberger explains.

Images via Electrolux

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I love this collection of topographic tableware! The china set adds a playful twist by identifying your eating habits: each line represents a different food level i.e. modest, moderate, greedy. Who knows, it might actually help control portion sizes. All in all, Topoware is a brilliant concept!

About:
Topoware is a tableware collection that questions the landscape of dining. Taking inspiration from the recent popularity of geography as a media of communication (with Google maps) and more specifically with topographic maps, which define heights of a landscape two dimensionally, Topoware in turn, "outlines" the dining experience.

Made up of cups, plates, bowls, placemats and a tablecloth, the collection explores the visual and social landscape of dining by using outlines and descriptions to describe, question and push our eating experience, making it really feel like a journey.

Topoware china currently available from Folksy: £25 - £75.

Looking for a little somethin' somethin' to brighten your walls? Consider one of these posters from Blue Art Studio. Created by the same Joel Pirela of Blue Ant Studio fame, these posters would look great in any modern home. Already have all the artwork you need at home? Buy a few for your office and bring a little inspiration into the daily grind.

Modern Posters from Blue Art Studio: $35

I saw these Chikuno cubes a while back and thought that they were one of the coolest things I had seen in a long time. Amazing design for what is usually an everyday product. Each 2" cube is made from Bamboo charcoal and has a micro honeycomb structure that gives it a surface area equivalent to four football fields. It acts as a natural deodorant sucking up nasty smells from small spaces like refrigerators or closets. I'd love to have one in my fridge just because it looks so good.

Has anyone actually bought one of these? I'd love to hear some feedback.

Available from Charles and Marie today only for $28, or from Delight for the same price.

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Chalk this one up in the trendy column. The new Tissue Box from Essey brings back the award-winning crumple of its predecessor, Bin Bin. Designed by the same John Brauer, Tissue takes its queue from the contents within. Bauer says about the object: "The idea came to me when I passed a tissue box in Japan and noticed the crumpled paper sticking out. In that particular case, the box cover did not reflect the content. I wanted to have balance between the cover and content to give the product a relevant identity." I want to know, did this tissue box passing commence before or after the creation of Bin Bin? Just curious!

Tissue Box available from Unica Home: $30

Every once in a while I come across a furniture design that is so simple and brilliant that all I can think is "Why didn't I think of that?". The Urban Lounge is one of those pieces. It was designed by Scott Collins who is apparently a seamster, carpenter, musician and designer all in one. He has done some great work, but I think that this is one of his best pieces. This is his first in what will be a whole series of outdoor furniture. It doesn't sound like anyone is producing this piece yet, but someone definitely should. via

When I first ran across Tracy Melton's Tree Ring paintings, I was instantly drawn to their beautiful colors and, of course, unusual 'canvases'. The wood comes from dead Elm trees which Tracy cuts down himself with a chainsaw. The pieces are then sanded and clear coated three times to accentuate the wood. Using acrylic, Tracy then paints the bold, colored rings, followed by another clear coat. Each painting is hollowed out from behind for easy hanging and signed and dated by the artist. Available in sets of 3.

Can you just imagine an entire wall covered with these?? What a conversation piece THAT would be! Definitely gives me some ideas...

Tree Ring Paintings | Set of 3: $35 - $55.

Eric Pfeiffer is one of my favorite designers. He always manages to design attractive and functional objects that aren't exorbitantly priced. The pricing on these lamps has just gotten a little bit better. The cupstack, vee and zig zag lamps are all hand blown and have a wonderful simple geometric styling. I noticed that over at Design Public they are on sale for $79 each (regular $99). Each lamp sits approximately one foot tall and when turned on has a nice soft glow. These little lamps could be just the thing to add the finishing touch to your room.
Available at Design Public for $79.

Joseph Eichler may be one of the most well known Mid-Century Modern residential architects developers. In the 50's and 60's he was fortunate enough to design and build whole neighborhoods in California. I must admit when it comes to Eichler I'm pretty ignorant, but I'm looking to change that. Next month for my Fiesta Movement mission I'll be heading to California for a weekend to look at Eichler homes, and hopefully take some good pictures and video. Before I go I need your help!

What are some good websites to learn more about Eichler?

If I could only go to one neighborhood, which one should it be?

Saw these chairs and HAD to share.  Weaving Wood is part of the Nest furniture series from designer Rush Pleansuk of Thailand. Made from a combination of Teak and Ash, these chairs employ the talents of skilled craftsmen in a small workshop in Bangkok. Truly something to behold. Can you imagine the funky marks this must leave behind after a while, though? A small price to pay, really.

Check out the rest of Rush's impressive portfolio here.

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Automoblox have been around for a couple of years now, and have won plenty of design awards. Our two year old is a huge car fan and we recently picked up our first automoblox for him to play with. I was a little concerned it would be a bit over his head, but besides the one lost wheel it has been a huge success. I've been extremely impressed with it as well. Great attention to detail, good quality and an affordable price. They have several new styles with some more aggressive styling and complete with front splitter, side skirts, rear diffusers and BBS styled wheels. All that extra style for the same great price.

Available from Automoblox for $12.

  

The Stage House is a sublimely minimal 'weekend home' with a distinct Japanese aesthetic. Every element of the house has such a sense of balanced energy. I especially love the way it relates to the surrounding landscape, its profile nothing but a dark sliver amongst the trees. Completed in 2007, the Stage House is the creation of Japanese architecture firm TNA.

Check out more of their work at tna-arch.com.

EQ3 is one of those sleeper brands. No one ever seems to really talk about their products, but they continue to make clean, affordable, modern pieces. One of their latest offerings is this glass JOUR Bowl with a funky orange bird-in-the-nest design. The white glass provides a nice contrast to the orange and the slightly squared shape ads some good visual interest. Unfortunately it's so new that they don't even list the size of it. Whether it's thimble sized or bathtub sized, pricing starts at $12.

JOUR Bowl new from EQ3 for $12.

Moduture is an up-and-coming furniture design line headed by the talented husband and wife duo Brady and Charlotte Wilkinson. Charlotte will be unveiling her new collection at this week's CA Boom Design Show, June 26 - 28. Though the collection is small (only three pieces so far), it is loaded with options: a bookcase with movable slats, a coffee table that transforms into a puzzle table, and a stackable cabinet with interchangeable covers! All her pieces are beautiful and have a certain timelessness that I think will appeal to a lot of different modern design lovers. If you're in California this weekend, be sure to stop by and check out Moduture in person. As an added bonus, Charlotte is offering a discount code for CA Boom tickets: enter code "MOD" to receive $4 off your ticket price. All photos by Jessica Peterson